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Linking Chap 4
Linking Chap 4
WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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4. Water-lifting devices
4.1 Introduction
Water-lifting devices are used to lift water to a height that allows users easy access to
water. Lifting devices can be used to raise groundwater, rainwater stored in an underground reservoir, and river water. Communities should be able to choose from a range of
water-lifting devices, and each option should be presented with its advantages, disadvantages and implications. For example, water lifting involves additional O&M activities and
potential problems, compared to gravity systems, and the latter are often preferred if
they are available and applicable to the situation.
The following water-lifting devices are described in this manual:
There are other water-lifting devices that are not described in this manual, such as the
progressing cavities pump, the manual diaphragm suction pump, the treadle pump and
the chain pump. Other devices, such as the air-lift pump, are not included because they
are not applicable to drinking-water supply systems.
Morgan (1990).
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Roles
Skills required
Users.
Lower and lift the bucket, keep the site clean, warn when the
system malfunctions.
Caretaker.
Water committee.
Local artisan.
Shopkeeper/trader.
External support.
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Basic skills. Technical skills. Highly qualified.
Grease or oil.
Lubricator.
Bucket, wire.
Knife.
Rope, wire.
Knife.
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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4.2.5 Potential problems
poor-quality rope deteriorates quickly (e.g. sisal rope lasts for only a few months);
the bucket falls into the well to prevent this, communities can keep a spare bucket
and fit the bucket into a protective cage, such as that described by Carty (1990);
the hose breaks frequently in windlass-and-hose systems;
poor hygiene, especially when the rope or bucket touches users hands or the
ground;
communal wells tend to become more contaminated than family-owned wells, and
the latter should be promoted whenever possible;
the rope-and-bucket system is only suitable for limited depths.
Morgan (1990).
46
nance activities and collect fees for repairs. After the pump is installed, simple lessons in
O&M should be given, followed by monitoring, and occasional assistance by external
agencies.
Roles
Skills required
Users.
Local caretaker.
Water committee.
Tin worker or
blacksmith.
/
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Basic skills. Technical skills.
Daily
clean the area.
Broom.
Weekly
tighten the bolts.
Flat spanner.
Occasionally
lubricate bearings;
Grease or oil.
replace bearings;
Hardwood.
Spanner.
Two spanners.
Bucket.
Two spanners.
Bucket, trowel.
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
47
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rising main should be taken out (which can be done by hand by a few people). All repairs
can be carried out by the users themselves, sometimes with the assistance of a craftsman
for welding.
Rope pumps are used by communities or individual households. The maintenance
needs are simple, but frequent, and users need to ensure that they are carried out and
that their pump is kept in good working condition. Hygiene is more important than with
many other types of pump, particularly when the pump is used communally. In such
cases, it is important that the users organize effective measures for ensuring good hygiene practices.
Roles
Skills required
Users.
Caretaker.
Water committee.
Local or area
craftsman.
External support.
/
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Basic skills. Technical skills. Highly qualified.
Grease or oil.
Lubricator.
Nylon rope.
Knife.
Anticorrosive paint.
Trowel, bucket.
Knife.
Saw, file.
Weekly
grease bearings;
check the rope and frame structure.
Occasionally
Annually
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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4.4.5 Potential problems
the rope becomes worn because it is exposed to the sun (exposed rope needs to
be protected), or because it is used heavily;
the installation of the rope pump was poorly done and its performance is suboptimal;
the pulley wheel malfunctions;
the pistons, frame and guide block are of poor quality and do not function properly;
traditional rope pumps have a lift of only about 10 m;
users need to exercise care when using the pump as it is susceptible to contamination;
although design and quality of construction may differ significantly, the rope pump
can be low-cost, and operated and maintained at the village level.
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4.5.2 Main O&M activities
The operation begins with priming the pump, by pouring clean water on the plunger
through the top of the pump stand. Pumping is done by moving the handle up and
down, usually while standing beside the pump (with a rower pump, the user sits). Most
suction handpumps can be easily operated by men, women and children.
Suction pumps are relatively easy to maintain, since most or all of the moving parts
are above ground level. Maintenance can normally be done by a village caretaker or by
the users themselves, using simple tools, and basic spare parts and materials (however,
several brands cannot be completely maintained at local level). The basic skills needed
for preventive maintenance (e.g. greasing, dismantling the pump stand, replacing spare
parts, etc.) can be taught to pump caretakers quickly (from a few hours to a few days,
depending on the complexity of the system, materials used, etc.). Preventive maintenance consists of greasing the bearings every week, inspecting the interior of the pump
stand once a month, and inspecting the whole pump stand once a year. Most of this work
can be done by one or two people, but more people may be needed when pump parts
have to be lifted out of the well or borehole. During these inspections, smaller repairs
(replacement of washers, etc.) may be necessary. For major repairs (e.g. broken rising
main, cracks in the welding of metal parts), more highly skilled people and specialized
tools and materials may be needed.
Many suction handpumps are family pumps and are cared for by one family. For
communal pumps, the user group or community will need a local committee to organize
O&M tasks, including making major repairs. Private enterprises sometimes play an important role in performing repairs and selling spare parts.
Roles
Skills required
Users.
Local caretaker.
Water committee.
Area technician.
Local or area
merchant.
External support.
Check water quality, motivate and guide the local water committee.
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Basic skills. Technical skills. Highly qualified.
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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4.5.4 O&M technical requirements
Activity and frequency
Clean water.
Bucket or can.
Daily
clean the pump surroundings;
check pump functioning;
clean the pump site.
Broom.
Weekly
grease pump-stand parts.
Oil or grease.
Lubricator.
Monthly
check pump-stand parts.
Spanners.
Occasionally
adjust loose bolts;
Spanners.
Welding electrodes.
Annually
check the entire pump;
Sand, cement.
Bucket, trowel.
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pump rod
plunger
Trademarks: Blair; Ethiopia BP50; Malawi Mark V; Nira AF85; Tara; Wavin.
Roles
Skills required
Users.
Caretaker.
Water committee.
Local merchant.
External support.
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Basic skills. Technical skills. Highly qualified.
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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4.6.4 O&M technical requirements
Activity and frequency
Daily
clean the pump and site;
Broom.
check performance.
Occasionally
replace cupseals and washers;
Cupseals, washers.
Spanners, screwdriver.
Spanners, wrench.
Annually
check the whole pump;
repair the pump platform.
Spanners, screwdriver.
Cement, sand, gravel.
Bucket, trowel.
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pipe, and lifts the foot pedal. Deep-well diaphragm pumps are still being improved, but
most imperfections have been corrected.
The principle of the pump is attractive because it allows thin flexible hoses to be
used, making the pump easy to install or remove without the need for special tools or
equipment. Replacing spare parts is usually easy; only the replacement of the diaphragm
may need the assistance of a skilled mechanic. It is possible to install several pumps in a
single well or borehole.
Initial cost: In 1986, a complete pump that operated to a depth of 30 m cost US$ 860
(CIEH, 1990). In Burkina Faso and Benin in 1993, a Vergnet model pump cost US$
14601820 (including 10% VAT), depending on the installation depth (Baumann, 1993b).
Range of depth: 1070 m.
Yield: 0.50 litres/s at 10 m depth; 0.32 litres/s at 30 m; and 0.24 litres/s at 45 m.
Useful life: Eight years.
Area of use: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger.
Trademarks: Vergnet; ABI-ASM (no longer in production).
Roles
Skills required
Users.
Caretaker.
Area mechanic.
Water committee.
External support.
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Basic skills. Technical skills. Highly qualified.
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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4.7.4 O&M technical requirements
Activity and frequency
Daily
clean the pump and site.
Broom, bucket.
Weekly
grease the parts of the pump stand.
Grease.
Lubricator.
Monthly
check the entire pump.
Spanner.
Occasionally
replace the piston parts;
Spanner.
Washers.
Spanner.
Trowel, bucket.
Diaphragm.
Spanner.
Annually
repair the platform.
Every 35 years
replace the diaphragm.
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Trademarks: Afridev/Aquadev; Bestobell Micro; Bush pump; Blair pump; India Mark II
and III; Kardia; Tropic (Duba); UPM; Volanta.
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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4.8.3 Actors and their roles
Actors
Roles
Skills required
Users.
Caretaker.
Water committee.
Area mechanic.
External support.
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Basic skills. Technical skills. Highly qualified.
Daily
clean pump and site.
Broom, brush.
Weekly
grease bearings.
Grease or oil.
Lubricator.
Monthly
check the pumpstand parts.
Spanner.
Occasionally
replace the pumpstand parts;
Oil.
Spanners, wrench.
replace cupseals;
Cupseals.
Bucket, trowel.
Annually
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with some pump brands, or when the water must be lifted from a great depth, the
pump handle may require considerable strength to turn it;
to reduce the number of major repairs, the rising main should be made of the
highest-quality material available;
rigorous quality control is needed for deep-well piston handpumps, since many
are produced in developing countries;
deep-well piston handpumps may require considerable torque to start them, and
the pump may be driven by a windmill; as a result, rotary pumps are often preferred because of their lower starting torque.
Fondation de lEau (1985); Fraenkel (1986); Pollak (1988); Castilla Ruiz & Galvis Castano (1993).
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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4.9.2 Main O&M activities
During pumping, the condition of the engine, the water output of the pump, and the
temperature of bearings should be checked, and any vibration should be reported. In
some systems, valves must be closed manually just before switching off the pump, to
retain water in the system. Most centrifugal pumps are not self-priming, and if the pump
house runs dry, clean water has to be poured into it.
The pump inlet should be maintained, and the pump and engine kept clean. A record
of the pump running hours, problems, servicing, maintenance and repairs should be
kept in a logbook. The pump should be dismantled annually, and the rising main removed from the well and inspected. The inlet screen, foot valve and pipe threads should
be checked, and any corroded or damaged threads re-cut. Badly corroded pipes should
be replaced. The foot valve may need a new rubber, or it may have to be replaced. All
other repairs, such as replacing the bearings or the impeller, are costly and should be
carried out by qualified technicians.
For several reasons, centrifugal pumps are not suitable for village-level maintenance.
Pump maintenance requires an organization that focuses on the training and reliability
of the pump caretaker, and on raising funds to support the pump O&M. In the event of
breakdown, the pump committee must be able to mobilize a trained area mechanic quickly.
Centrifugal pumps are designed for specific ranges of flow and pressure, and it is important that pump characteristics and operating conditions are matched by someone properly trained. The starting torque of a centrifugal pump is relatively low, which is an
advantage for windmill and solar power applications.
Roles
Skills required
Users.
Caretaker.
Area mechanic.
External support.
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Technical skills. Highly qualified.
Regularly
clean the inlet.
Occasionally
prepare the pump for use by
priming it with clean water;
Clean water.
Impeller.
Bearing.
Annually
take the pump apart and clean it.
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4.9.5 Potential problems
debris, sand or other particles may enter the pump, causing abrasion damage;
an inlet becomes clogged, causing cavitation;
the pipeline system is damaged by severe surges in water pressure, caused by starting and stopping the pump abruptly;
the pump and engine are badly aligned, causing the bearings to wear out quickly;
the main limitations of a centrifugal pump are its cost, the need to ensure a reliable supply of electricity or fuel, and the need for skilled technicians to maintain
and repair the pump.
Main
Initial cost: A pump for a 50100 m head, and a flow rate of 10 m3/h, costs about US$ 2500
(1995 prices); a pump for the same head range and an output of 45 m3/h costs about
US$ 7000 (UNDP/IAPSO, 1995).
Range of depth: 7200 m or more.
Efficiency range: 4070%.
Trademarks: Guinard; Goulds; Grundfos; KSB; Meyers; and others.
Fraenkel (1986); Pollak (1988); Castilla Ruiz & Galvis Castano (1993).
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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damaged threads re-cut. Badly corroded pipes should be replaced. Electric cables should
be inspected, particularly the insulation between the cables. All other repairs, such as
replacing a pump stage, involve high costs and must be carried out by a qualified technician. Submersible pumps are not suitable for village-level maintenance, although they
can often function for years with hardly any maintenance. The local committee or water
agency should focus on the training and reliability of the caretaker, on cost-recovery, and
on being able to mobilize an area mechanic quickly, in case the pump breaks down.
Roles
Skills required
Users.
Caretaker.
Area mechanic.
External support.
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Technical skills. Highly qualified.
Annually
take the pump out of the well, clean
the inlet screen and check the valve.
Occasionally
replace the fuse to the electric motor;
Fuse.
Screwdriver.
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Fraenkel (1986); Hofkes & Visscher (1986); Meier (1990); Mathewson (1993).
4. WATER-LIFTING DEVICES
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accumulated sand and silt removed. The frequency with which the rubbers of the valves
have to be replaced will depend largely on the quality of the rubber. The valves and the
valve spring may also wear out and, if the water is corrosive, the pump and drive pipe may
need to be replaced sooner than expected.
Because of the low cost of a hydraulic ram pump and its intake works, this technology
is suitable for communal use. A caretaker should be appointed for O&M, but little training is needed.
Roles
Skills required
Caretaker.
Check and start the pump, clean the pump, perform basic repairs.
Water committee.
Area mechanic.
External support.
Simple (often requires gender-specific awareness-raising, and training activities to change behaviour and build capacity);
Basic skills. Technical skills. Highly qualified.
Daily
check that the pump is functioning.
Weekly
check the delivery valve.
Spanner.
Occasionally
restart the hydram;
adjust the impulse valve;
Spanner.
Spanner.
Spanner, wrench.
Annually
repair the inlet and platform.
Bucket, trowel.